The lands of the bishopric laid waste. March-May, 1088.
- fused to the Bishop, to his messengers, and to all his
men. A monk who was coming back from the King's presence to the Bishop was stopped; his horse was killed, though he was allowed to go on on foot. Lastly, the Sheriff ordered all men in the King's name to do all the harm that they could to the Bishop everywhere and in every way. The Bishop was thus cut off from telling his grievances; and for seven weeks, we are told, the lands of the bishopric were laid waste.[1] This date brings us into the month of May, by which time important events had happened in other parts of England.
General rebellion.
The Easter Gemót. April 16, 1088.
The rebels refuse to come.
We have seen that, in south-eastern England at least,
the unrede of this year's Lent must have gone beyond
mere words, and must have already taken the form of
action. But it seems not to have been till after Easter
that the general revolt of the disaffected nobles broke
forth throughout the whole land. By this time they
had all thoroughly made up their minds to act. And
we may add that it is quite possible that the King's
treatment of the Bishop of Durham may have had some
share in helping them to make up their minds. They
may have been led to think that open rebellion was
the safest course. The first general sign was given at
the Easter Gemót of the year, which, according to rule,
would be held at Winchester. The rebel nobles, instead
of appearing to do their duty when the King wore his
crown, kept aloof from his court. They gat them each
man to his castle, and made them ready for war.[2] Soon*
- ↑ "Præcepit omnibus regis fidelibus de parte regis ut malum facerent episcopo ubicumque et quomodo cumque possent. Cumque episcopus per se vel per legatos suos regem non posset requirere, et terras suas destrui et vastari absque ulla ultione per vii. septimanas et amplius sustineret," etc.
- ↑ Their absence from the assembly comes from Florence; "Execrabile hoc factum clam tractaverunt in quadragesima, quod cito in palam prorumpi posset post pascha; nam a regali se subtrahentes curia, munierunt castella, ferrum, flammam, prædas, necem, excitaverunt in patriam." Cf. Orderic,
